Election filing begins Tuesday

A little over a month after the last election wrapped up, filing for the April municipal election will begin soon.

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By Paul Hackbarth | Staff Writer

The Rolla Daily News - Rolla, MO

By Paul Hackbarth | Staff Writer

Posted Dec. 9, 2012 at 8:00 PM

By Paul Hackbarth | Staff Writer

Posted Dec. 9, 2012 at 8:00 PM

A little over a month after the last election wrapped up, filing for the April municipal election will begin soon.

People interested in running for city council, school board or other boards in the county can begin filing this Tuesday, Dec. 11.

Filing will run from Dec. 11 to Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013, except for days when each filing office is closed.

The municipal election for these board seats will be held Tuesday, April 2, 2013.

In the City of Rolla, the positions open for election this time include one council representative for each of the city’s six wards. Rolla council members serve two-year terms. Filing for the council will be held at the Rolla city clerk’s office at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm St. Municipal candidates are not charged a filing fee.

City council seats must be filled by candidates with the following qualifications — they must be at least 21 years of age prior to taking office, a citizen of the United States, an inhabitant of the city for one year and a resident of the ward which he or she is elected for six months at the time of his or her election.

In St. James, four council seats — one in each of the city’s four wards — will be open for filing. St. James council members also serve two-year terms.

Qualifications to serve on the St. James City Council include being at least 21 years old, a citizen of the U.S., a resident of St. James for at least one year preceding the election and a resident of the ward that the individual is running in for at least six months preceding the election.

In Newburg, filing will open for one council representative for each of the city’s two wards. Newburg council members serve two-year terms. To run for the Newburg City Council, candidates must be at least 21 years old, a registered voter, a U.S. citizen and a resident of both Newburg and the ward in which they are running in for at least one year.

Doolittle residents interested in running for city offices can run for one alderman seat in each of Doolittle’s three wards. Doolittle aldermen serve two-year terms. According to Mayor Paul Smith, candidates must be at least 25 years old and a resident of the ward they are running in for at least one year.

Declarations of candidacy can be made starting Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Doolittle City Hall, 380 Eisenhower Street, Doolittle. After that, candidates can file at city hall on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Candidates can also file on the last day, Tuesday, Jan. 15, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Page 2 of 3 - In Edgar Springs, candidates can run for the seats of the mayor, an alderman from the north ward and an alderman from the south ward.

All three positions are two-year terms. Filing will begin Dec. 11 an run through Jan. 15. Edgar Springs City Hall, located at 555 Broadway St., is open from 8 a.m. to noon Mondays through Fridays.

School boards

Seats on the school boards in the four school districts in Phelps County also will be open for filing starting Tuesday.

For those interested in running for the Rolla Board of Education, two seats will be open in the April election. The seats are for three-year terms.

Declarations of candidacy from inter district patrons interested in campaigning for a position will be accepted at the superintendent’s offices, 500A Forum Drive, Rolla, upstairs in Room 224.

Filing is open from 8 a.m. to noon and again from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays between Dec. 11 and Jan. 15.

Candidacy declarations will not be accepted on the following district holidays: Friday, Dec. 21, through Wednesday, Jan. 2.

There also are two open seats on the St. James R-I School District. The candidates elected will serve three-year terms. Filing opens Dec. 11 and runs through Jan. 15. Candidates may file during normal business hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for Jan. 15, when declarations will be accepted until 5 p.m.

The St. James district will be closed between Dec. 19 and Jan. 2 for the Christmas holiday and will not accept filings between those dates. The district office is located at 122 E. Scioto St., St. James.

There are two open seats on the Newburg R-II School Board in the April election. Interested candidates may file at the school district’s central office located at 701 Wolf Pride Drive, Newburg.

Filing will begin on Dec. 11 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and will continue during the district’s regular business hours, which are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Filing will end on Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. The district’s offices will be closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 4 for Christmas break and will not be accepting candidates filing on those dates.

Candidates for positions on the Phelps County R-III School Board may file for office during regular school hours from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Dec. 11 through Jan. 15. Filing hours will be extended on Jan. 15 until 5 p.m. The office will be closed Dec. 21 at 11:45 a.m. through Jan. 1 for Christmas break.

Qualified voters will be electing two board members for terms of three years each. Anyone wishing to file for one of these positions must file a declaration as a candidate in person with the secretary in the office of the district superintendent, located at 17790 State Route M, Edgar Springs.

Page 3 of 3 - State statute requires elected school board members to attend a 16-hour training session within their first year of service.

According to the Missouri School Boards’ Association, there are relatively few qualifications necessary to run for a position on a local school board of education in most school districts in the state. A candidate must be a citizen of the U.S., a resident taxpayer of the district, a resident of Missouri for one year and at least 24 years old.

Other boards

On the Phelps County Emergency Services Board, there will be four seats up for election in April. The candidates who fill these seats will serve four-year terms.Candidates for these races can file from Dec. 11 to Jan. 15 with the Phelps County clerk’s office at the Phelps County Courthouse, 200 N. Main St., Suite 102, Rolla, during normal business hours.

Two of the candidates must live in District One of Phelps County and the other two candidates must live in District Two. The seats are volunteer positions only.

There also will be an election for the Phelps County Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees in April. One trustee will be elected for a five-year term.

Any qualified voter of the county can file a form declaring their candidacy. Declarations may be filed beginning Dec. 11 at 8 a.m. and closing Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. in the Phelps County clerk’s office.